Fat Fannie has just been named the first star of the Nature Discovery Center’s Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor is bestowed upon a resident of the nature center that has done the most to improve relations between visitors and nature during the past year. When visitors arrive at the Warner Nature Center, Fannie welcomes them with her good-natured demeanor.

Fat Fannie is a black bear with a rather large rump, and sits in one corner of the nature center. Her friendly manner invites everyone to feel a fur sample, see a newborn’s footprints, and test their knowledge of black bears by answering questions in a card file. If they guess wrong, Fannie remains polite and doesn’t even snicker.

Some people think black bears are frightening, but not Fannie. She doesn’t look menacing, growl, move, or eat. How she met her demise is anyone’s guess, but when the taxidermist was through with her, she looked good. Years later, she was donated to the nature center.

Fannie is not the only mounted creature at this hands-on nature center. There are birds, a bobcat, fisher, and several other mammals. Other displays include rocks and minerals, fossils, sea life, plant life, insects, reptiles and more. Young visitors are given an activity sheet, and for every four activities they try, they win a nature prize. After a family has toured the nature center, they may explore the nature trail and try to identify the pollinators working in the pollinator garden.

Everyone is invited to stop by the Nature Discovery Center to meet Fat Fannie and all the other residents. The nature center is located next to the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum at 15 Highlawn Road in Warner, and is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. For more information, go to ndcnh.org.